The World Around Us: Part 2
by angelkittysmith
Summary: Alex, Justin, Max and I host various outings around the Pittsburgh area, including discussion groups, dinner outings, social events, and many more outings. Our other best friend Carly, as well as her parents, Sam and Freddie, join us. NOTE: I do NOT own iCarly or Wizards of Waverly Place.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Autism and Weather

The next day, I met my other best friend, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie for breakfast at Pamela's P&G Diner in Squirrel Hill. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Carly greeted back. "What would you like for breakfast, Angel?" Mrs. Shay asked me. "Some nice healthy things like an omelet with berries and oatmeal, and a glass of milk, of course," I replied. "Mmm, those are all great choices," Mr. Benson agreed. "Yes, they are," Mrs. Shay also agreed. "Didn't Eat n' Park serve us all those healthy foods, too?" Carly asked. "When I first met Angel in Natrona Heights, we did not feel like cooking, so we went out to Eat n' Park," Carly explained to her parents. "Yes, we do remember, Carly," Mrs. Shay agreed. "But, this food is so much better," Mr. Benson pointed out. "Are you and Alex getting along better?" I asked Carly. "I guess so," Carly replied, sighing. "Alex got mad at me because I was unable to go to dinner with you guys." "But she's your neighbor, Carly," I explained. "It is important for friends who are our neighbors to be able to get along." My other friend, Emily Mistle joined us, as well as some of my other best friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill. I had some more healthy snacks to share with my friends, since Emily and I had yogurt: carrot and celery sticks for Carly and Alex, hard-boiled eggs and assorted nuts for Mrs. Shay and Justin, and Wheat Thins crackers and Kashi Go Lean! cereal for Mr. Benson and Max. We all had sodas with our snacks to drink. "Boy it is cold outside today," Alex stated. "I am not a fan of cold weather. How about you guys?" "Definitely not me," I stated. "I especially hated the recent Arctic blast that we all had to deal with over the holidays, forcing me to take an alternate route to work than I would normally take." "Yeah, I had to take a different route, too," Carly agreed. "We tried to visit our aunt and uncle in Polish Hill, but it was not that much fun," Mrs. Shay agreed. "It was too cold and snowy to really look at the city," Mr. Benson agreed. "Really?" Max asked. "I took my sled to Frick Park and sledded down the hill, because I love the snow and I love winter!" "That's really pretty much the only thing I enjoy about winter," Justin pointed out. "I love going to Regent Square to visit my relatives, but not when the snow blocks me from driving," Alex stated, "and it is especially my responsibility to look after my parents' house since they are gone in Florida!" "No, winter is definitely not my favorite season," Emily agreed. "Summer is much better." "Of course, since I can do more fun activities with all of you guys," I agreed. "Now, do you want to know what my favorite season is?" "No, what?" Alex asked. "Spring, of course," I replied. "Since that is the season my birthday is in." "Mine too," Carly agreed. "Mine too," Alex agreed. "Carly and I have birthdays in April, and Alex has a birthday in May. We are the 3 spring babies!" Carly, Alex, and I hugged each other. "Well, my birthday is in the fall," Emily stated, "and the weather is very beautiful in the fall time with the leaves changing color, so I love the fall." "I am more a fan of the temperate seasons," Alex stated, "but I prefer summer over winter because you do not have to worry about snow, ice, or bundling up, although I do not like excessively hot weather, either." After our discussion, Emily's siblings, Michael and Erin joined me, Emily, Alex, Justin, and Max at Luke Wholey's Wild Alaskan Grill in the Strip District for dinner. "I remember I wanted seafood to eat after one of our football games, Justin, but there was no real seafood restaurants in Natrona Heights," Alex pointed out. "Say, do you guys want to get some appetizers?" I ordered provolone wedges, Emily ordered lobster potato skins, Alex ordered shrimp cocktail, Justin ordered fried calamari, and Max ordered garlic bread. "I let my younger siblings have our frozen dinners that we would normally have for dinner," Emily pointed out. Then, we ordered our entrees. Alex ordered the Seafood Trio, Justin ordered the Land and Sea Trio, Max ordered fish and chips, Emily and I both ordered chicken parmesan over pasta, Erin ordered Baja shrimp scampi linguine, and Michael ordered Alaskan King Crab Legs. "You guys should seriously come to more outings with us," Alex suggested. "We will see what we can do, Alex," Emily pointed out. Then, we all got dessert with our meal. I ordered vanilla ice cream to share with Emily and Alex. After dessert and our checks, it was time for us to go home. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Christmas in Gettysburg

The next day, I met my other friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, and Carly Shay, as well as her parents, Sam and Freddie at the Waterworks Cinema Theater in Fox Chapel, right after breakfast at the Fox Chapel Yacht Club. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Alex greeted back. "You ladies look nice," I told Carly and Alex, as they had on matching suits and high heels. "Thanks," Carly remarked. "Let's go in the theater and watch the documentary, shall we?" I asked. "Of course," Alex replied. We went inside the theater. "Boy, I hope that Sarah and her stepbrothers had fun in Gettysburg," Carly remarked. "We missed them." "Uh-huh," Alex agreed. "Christmas was just not the same without them!" The documentary began with James and his dad, George talking about how he has been learning to drive ever since he was 15 years old, and made a brief joke about clowns getting into a Volkswagen. Soon afterwards, the title screen came on. There was different footage of activities during the week leading up to Christmas, such as Milk and Cookies Monday, Festive Fiesta, a home-cooked brunch, Hot Chocolate Day, and even, a practice Christmas party. Not to mention, Sarah, James, and Henri also saw a Christmas concert in Gettysburg, just like I did. Only this time, there was the Gettysburg Local Singers, the Chorale of Greater Gettysburg, the Jazz Band of Greater Gettysburg, and of course, the Local Gettysburg Wind Ensemble, similar to what we saw back in June for James's birthday at the 24 in 24 Art Gallery. There were also clips of waiting for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve and opening presents, as well as having a nice dinner, on Christmas Day- even the complaint of no snow for Christmas in Gettysburg, unlike other cities in Pennsylvania. Lastly, there was footage of ringing in the New Year with a party featuring mother-daughter make-up madness, a late night scavenger hunt, a make-your-own sundae bar, a karaoke contest, and keepsake boxes prior to welcoming 2018 on TV. The documentary ended with the family singing Christmas carols together on Christmas Day, just like Emily's younger siblings did. Then, the credits rolled and we exited the theater. "I so want to get that DVD from them," Carly remarked. "Do you think it's wrong to watch that DVD when it's not Christmastime?" "I don't care, Carly," Mrs. Shay replied. "Yeah, we would watch anything, whether it is Christmas-related or not," Mr. Benson agreed. Carly laughed. "I do remember watching a Christmas movie in February," Carly recalled. "So, if you want, I will let James know that you would like the DVD," Mrs. Shay stated. "It really looks like they had fun," Mr. Benson remarked. "And, that Christmas concert reminded me of my chorus days," Carly added. "What did you think of the movie, Alex?" I asked Alex. "I loved it," Alex replied. "Especially hearing _It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year_ and _A Christmas Festival_." "Those were songs we performed for our Christmas band concert," Justin remembered. "That reminds me," Max remarked. "I miss performing in the concert band and especially the jazz band." We saw Sarah, James, and Henri walk down the red carpet. "Hi, Sarah," I greeted my older best friend. "Good job," Carly remarked. "I think the outfit you wore on Christmas Day looked like what you wore to our party in Lawrenceville, Sarah," Alex remarked. "Is that right?" "Yes," Sarah replied. "It was the same one." Then, Sarah's mom came by to greet us. "Hi, Mom," Sarah greeted. "These are some of my best friends, Carly Shay and Alex Russo." "Hi there," Alex greeted. "Nice to meet you," Carly greeted. "Would you like to autograph our programs?" I asked. Sarah got out a pen and autographed our programs. Sarah's mom autographed our programs, as well. "Nice to see you again, James," Mrs. Shay greeted. "How are you doing?" Justin asked. "I am doing fine," James replied. James's dad was also there. I rushed over to get James's autograph, as well as his dad's autograph. "I saw you guys built that gingerbread house I bought for you on Christmas Eve," Justin added. "Yes, we did," James replied. He autographed Mrs. Shay's and Justin's programs. "Great job, Henri," Mr. Benson praised. "Yeah, great job, man," Max agreed. Henri autographed Mr. Benson and Max's programs. "Why don't we do one activity from the New Year's Eve party?" I suggested. "Like what?" Alex asked. "I don't know, a make-your-own sundae bar," I replied. "Sure," Carly replied. "I'm up for some ice cream." "I'm actually inspired to have a Festive Fiesta with the Mistles tonight featuring tacos and chips and salsa," I added. After our own festivities, it was time for me to leave. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Dinner at Peppi's

The next day, I met some more of my best friends, Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, Carly Shay, and Carly's parents, Sam and Freddie at Peppi's Old Tyme Sandwich Shop in the Strip District. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Alex greeted back. "At first, I thought I was gonna hate this restaurant," Carly remarked. "Why is that, Carly?" Mr. Benson asked. "Because a long-lost enemy of ours, Nevel, said that he has never heard of Peppi's, and assumed that it would be the worst restaurant ever," Carly explained. "Oh, yeah," Mrs. Shay remembered. "I do remember that. Well, he is not here, so let's just get some food here, shall we?" "Alex picked this restaurant out, so let's give it a try," I suggested. We then ordered our subs. I ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger Sub with French fries, Carly ordered the Chicken Parmesan Sub with French fries, Mrs. Shay ordered the Regular Italian Hoagie with French fries, Mr. Benson ordered a Cheese Steak Hoagie with French fries, Alex ordered the Chicken Cobb Salad, Justin ordered the same thing as me, only he had American cheese instead of provolone on his sub, and Max ordered the "Roethlisburger Sub," also known as the "#7 Sub". "I have never tried Ben Roethlisburger's sub before," Max stated. "It's funny how I always wanted to be like Ben Roethlisburger just before my senior year of high school, and now I am eating a sandwich just like his." "That is funny, Max," Justin agreed. "I wanted to try this great place out, and now I like it," Alex told us. "I like it, too, Alex," Carly agreed. "I can drive Angel back to Highland Park," Mrs. Shay offered. "That's good, because Alex is very tired from a long week at work," Justin told Mrs. Shay. "I also have purple potatoes in the back of the car to use for baby potatoes with arugula pesto," Carly told me. "Well, do whatever you want, girls," Alex told us. "I am just very tired from work and do not want to be bothered the rest of this weekend!" I headed back home with Carly and her parents. "Thanks for a great dinner, guys!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Wicked at the Benedum Center

The next day, I met some more of my friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, Carly Shay, as well as Carly's parents, Sam and Freddie, at the Benedum Center in downtown Pittsburgh to see the musical _Wicked_. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Carly greeted back. "I have the tickets for us to see _Wicked_ ," Alex told us as she handed out our tickets. "I can't wait to see this musical," Carly told me. "I remember singing songs from this musical back in 8th grade at the Natrona Heights Presbyterian Church." "Can you remember what songs you sang, Carly?" Mr. Benson asked. "I sang all the good songs like 'What Is This Feeling?', 'Popular', 'One Short Day,','Defying Gravity', 'No Good Deed,' and 'For Good','' Carly replied. "Those are all great songs, Carly," Mrs. Shay agreed. We even got Squeezie balls to play with until the show began. We all loved _Wicked._ The cast was amazing, the songs were outstanding, and the show was well-choreographed. I talked with Alex, Justin, and Max about the show during intermission, using the conversation skills that I learned with Sarah, James, and Henri. "Alex, what do you think of the musical so far?" I asked. "It's a very good musical," Alex replied. "Thank you for asking!" "I remember performing songs from this musical back in middle school," I stated. "And, I remember performing some of these songs for an Honors recital in the spring my junior year of high school," Alex added. "What songs did we perform again, Alex?" Max asked. "I forget." "Songs like 'No One Mourns the Wicked', 'Dancing Through Life', 'Defying Gravity', and 'For Good'," Alex replied. "Oh yeah, those were great songs to perform," Justin remembered. "That Honors Band recital was one that I will never forget!" We then went back into the auditorium to watch the second act of the show. After the cast bows and finale, we talked with some of the ushers about what we liked about the show. Then, we went to the Strip District to go shopping for some groceries chosen by us. Carly chose purple potatoes and grapefruit, Mrs. Shay chose Swiss cheese, Mr. Benson chose medium egg noodles, Alex chose asparagus and green beans, Justin chose ricotta cheese, and Max chose fettuccine noodles. Not to mention, Carly and Alex also had special treats for us: classic fudge-walnut brownies and Valentine's Day smiley cookies from Eat n' Park. After our dinner, Alex drove me back to Mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Miscommunication and Shelly Pie

The next day, I met some more of my friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, Carly Shay, and Carly's parents, Sam and Freddie, at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill to talk about miscommunication. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Alex greeted back. "I have a special Valentine's Day treat for you- cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and Valentine's Day cards, as well," Alex added. "Thanks, Alex," I thanked. "Valentine's Day is such a great holiday, but we tend to miscommunicate a lot, or say things that we do not mean," Alex pointed out. "When my parents first met each other after their wedding, they miscommunicated a lot," Carly pointed out. "Freddie and I tended to miscommunicate with each other a lot by interrupting each other," Mrs. Shay added. "Carly would often interrupt me whenever I was helping her with her math homework," Mr. Benson added. "And, customers interrupt me at my job when they have a lot of things they need help with," Carly stated, "which I find very annoying." "Another big thing that I want to discuss with you is giving gifts to people," I added. "Oh yeah," Alex agreed. "I tried to get Alex a present for Valentine's Day once, and she told me that she didn't want anything, so I confirmed with her just to make sure, and then she was so upset that she wouldn't talk to me," Justin told me. "Were you embarrassed to get your true feelings out?" I asked. "I guess so," Alex replied. "This leads up to a very popular form of communication called white lies," I continued. "I probably told Alex a white lie," Justin confessed. "I do that sometimes with Freddie, too," Mrs. Shay stated. "It happens a lot when people are dating," Carly added. "In order to not hurt the other person's feelings," Alex added. "I'm glad I have never dated yet, although I would eventually like to," I told everyone. "I don't have a boyfriend, but I also don't want to be single for the rest of my life, either." "If it makes you feel better, Angel," Max told me, "I don't date yet, either. It's okay if you don't have a boyfriend right away." "We miscommunicate at lots of different places, like at school, work, home, and with our family and friends," I concluded. After our discussion group, we went out to Shelly Pie in Turtle Creek for dinner. Some more of my friends, Emily, Michael, and Erin Mistle, also joined us at Shelly Pie. I ordered an All-American burger with fries, Emily ordered an Avocado-Mango Tango burger with fries, Michael ordered a caprese burger with fries, and Erin ordered a Sun-Dried Summer burger with fries. The Mistles and I ordered provolone sticks and soft pretzel sticks for appetizers. Carly and her parents split a pizza with pepperoni, black olives, green peppers, and pineapple on top. Alex ate grilled chicken parmesan with spaghetti, Justin ate a Reuben sandwich with mashed potatoes, and Max ate a steak hoagie with French fries. "I wanted to try something new and different," Alex told us. "This would have been the perfect restaurant for me after my SAT exam my junior year of high school," she added. "Except for Shelly Pie didn't exist back then," I pointed out. "True, but still," Alex contradicted. "What is the next restaurant that you guys might go to, Alex?" Emily asked. "We'll think about it and let you know," Alex replied. "Meanwhile, are you guys still going to join us in West Mifflin for bowling next Sunday?" "We sure are," Alex replied. "Carly and her parents will take Angel out for breakfast beforehand, while Justin, Max, and I will take her out to dinner afterwards." After dinner, I went home with Emily, Michael, and Erin. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I asked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Bowling at Brunswick Zone Playmor Bowl

The next day, I met one of my other best friends Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie at Falce's Restaurant in Munhall for breakfast. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Carly greeted back. "What do you think of this restaurant, Carly?" Mrs. Shay asked. "Doesn't it have good home fries?" Mr. Benson asked. "Yes, Freddie," Carly replied, "although their omelets are really good." I ordered a Western omelet, Carly ordered a bacon and cheese omelet, Mrs. Shay ordered a ham and cheese omelet, and Mr. Benson ordered a cheese omelet. "I remember back in middle school they taught us about the history of Munhall," Carly remembered. "I didn't know where Munhall was until now." "Yes, it is just south of Pittsburgh," I explained to Carly. "I almost got a job here, as a matter of fact." "That's cool," Carly remarked. We then headed off to Brunswick Zone Playmor Bowl, where we met some more of my other friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, Emily Mistle, and her younger siblings Kerry, Caden, Allison, and Tony. "This was the second time where an outing was chosen for us," Alex remembered. "You're right, Alex," I reminded her. "The documentary with Sarah, James, and Henri last month was also chosen as an outing for us." "You should choose some more outings based on what they do, like during the summer, for example," Emily told us. "An example of this would be how I was there during Saturday night trivia at Hough's in Greenfield last year, and they have Sunday night trivia there, too." "Let's not forget Iron City Circus Arts!" I happily exclaimed. "What's that?" Alex asked. "It's the gym on the South Side that Sarah, James, Henri, and I exercised at last fall," I explained to Alex. "Since I already went to a local gym to exercise with them, I think it's your turn to try it out, Alex," Carly pointed out. "We'll see," Alex told us. "I can't promise anything just yet, but I will see what we can do." We got into teams for bowling. Kerry, Caden, Allison, and Tony formed one, Emily, Carly, Alex, and I formed another, while Mrs. Shay, Mr. Benson, Justin, and Max formed a third team. We all had to help each other with bowling, since none of us were very good at bowling. At lunchtime, Alex tried Kerry's hummus, Carly tried Allison's pesto, Mrs. Shay and Justin tried Caden's barbecue sauce, and Mr. Benson and Max tried Tony's tapenade. We also played arcade games at the bowling alley, like Pac-Man, Pinnacle, and a racing game where we drive around different places. After bowling was over, Emily thanked us for coming and stated that she would appreciate it if more of my other best friends accompanied me to more bowling groups like this in the future. Alex, Justin, Max, and I also went out to Elliot's BBQ and Steakhouse in Pleasant Hills for dinner. I ordered flank steak with potato wedges and spinach salad, Alex ordered a grilled chicken salad, Justin ordered a barbecue bacon cheeseburger with fries, and Max ordered a barbecued pulled pork sandwich with fries. "Mmm, this salad tastes exactly like what I had at True's Sweet 16 party at the Breckenridge Heights Country Club many years ago," Alex stated. "Aah, the good old days," I happily agreed. "Say, do you guys want to split dessert with me?" "Sure," Alex replied. "We would love to. What would you like?" "How about some key lime pie and lemon sorbet?" I suggested. "I would love to split that with you," Alex agreed. "Max and I will split the Chocolate Stampede," Justin ordered. "They also have that at Longhorn Steakhouse too, Justin," Max pointed out. After dessert, we got our checks and Alex drove me back to Mom's apartment. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Breakfast and Dinner

The next day, I met my other friend, Carly Shay and her parents, Sam and Freddie, at Eat n' Park in Squirrel Hill for breakfast. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Carly greeted back. "What are you having to eat for breakfast?" Mrs. Shay asked. "This time, I am going to have pancakes instead of eggs," I replied. "Oh," Mr. Benson stated. "Well, pancakes are good, too." "Is it a bad thing for me to order off the kids' menu?" Carly asked. "Not at all, Carly," Mrs. Shay answered. "You do get smaller portions." "One of my co-workers, Valerie hated it when people ordered off the kids' menu," Mr. Benson remembered. "I would really like the Breakfast Giggle," Carly replied. "2 Smiley Pancakes with bacon." Mrs. Shay and Mr. Benson each got a Griddle Smile to eat. "I have another question for you guys," I told my friends. "What is that?" Carly asked. "Which public park do you guys like better- Schenley Park or Frick Park?" "Definitely Schenley Park since it is conveniently down the street from the restaurant," Carly replied. "There is also the ice skating rink, the swimming pool, the golf course, and the disc golf course." "Just like Sarah, James, and Henri," I remarked. Later that day, I met some more of my friends, Alex Russo, Justin Evans, and Max Greenwald at their house in Squirrel Hill. "Which park do you guys like better- Schenley Park or Frick Park?" "Definitely Frick Park since it is conveniently down the street from where my parents live, and it involves more hiking trails," Alex replied. "Remember that we are also going there for Easter with Sarah, James, and Henri," I reminded Alex. "Hopefully the weather is nice for that!" "I remember, and I hope the weather is nice, too," Alex agreed. "Some other outings I would also love to do with you guys and them later this spring include the Casa Reyna Mexican restaurant in the Strip District, brunch at the Grand Concourse, and Iron City Circus Arts on the South Side!" We drove to Churchill Haus in Turtle Creek for dinner. "Again, why didn't you guys take me down the Allegheny River Boulevard to the restaurant?" I asked. "It was much faster." "Route 8 was much faster, Angel," Alex replied. "I think when I first stayed at Mom's new apartment back in 2010, I went down the Allegheny River Boulevard in Oakmont and wished that you guys would join me." I sighed. "Unfortunately, my dad and stepmom sold my grandma's house in Churchill." "Why did they do that?" Alex asked. "I'm not sure why," I replied. We ordered some food. Alex ordered chicken tenders and fries, Justin ordered a barbecue bacon burger, and Max and I both ordered footlong hot dogs with French fries. "These chicken tenders aren't as good as Caliente's chicken tenders in Bloomfield," Alex stated. "The barbecue bacon burger isn't as good as what I ate at the Elliott BBQ Steakhouse last night," Justin stated. "Even the Brackenridge Heights Country Club has better hot dogs than this," Max agreed. "And burgers," Justin agreed. "And chicken tenders, too," Alex agreed. "I'm sorry, guys," I apologized. "I just couldn't find anything better." "That's okay, Angel," Alex replied. "Next time, can we go to Caliente, since it is more convenient?" "There is also a Caliente in Aspinwall," I explained. "We like the Caliente in Bloomfield better, though," Alex told me. Alex then drove me back to my mom's apartment in Highland Park. "Thanks for a great dinner, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Trivia Night at Hough's

The next day, I met some more of my best friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, Carly Shay, and Carly's parents, Sam and Freddie, at Hough's in Greenfield for Trivia Night. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Alex greeted back. "This was a great idea, Alex," Carly stated. "It kind of reminds me of the Super Sharp Quiz Bowl that I participated in back in middle school." "I do remember that," Mr. Benson stated. "It was your idea, though, too, right?" Mrs. Shay asked. "Of course it was," I replied. "I figured out that since one of your good friends James, as well as his younger siblings Sarah and Henri, like to come here once in a while, that you guys would love to give this place a try, too." "Well, that was smart thinking on your part, Angel," Alex pointed out. "Max, wasn't this the way we studied for final exams our junior year of high school?" Justin asked. "Yes, Justin, it was," Max replied. "And, it was a lot of fun, too!" We all ordered some food to eat. I ordered a fried fish sandwich, mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce and potato and cheese pierogies. Carly and her parents ordered some onion rings, while Alex and her guy friends ordered one of the specials for Lent that day: white cheddar macaroni and cheese. We all came up with the team name Yinzers from Squirrel Hill. All 5 of the categories were ones that we all knew a lot about, including Music from the 2010s, University Namesakes, This Week in History (March 4-March 10), Dragon Tales, and The K Word. I won a cup for winning the first round. The Yinzers from Squirrel Hill overall got fifth place for the trivia game. After trivia was done, Alex drove me back to my mom's apartment. "Thanks for a great evening, everyone!" I asked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Sports and Pastoli's

The next day, I met some more of my friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, and Carly Shay, as well as Carly's parents, Sam and Freddie, at the Carnegie Library in Squirrel Hill to talk about why we like and don't like sports. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Alex greeted back. I also brought a beer to drink with me. Since we were talking about sports that day, I wore my Steelers jersey, Carly, Mrs. Shay, and Mr. Benson wore Pirates gear, and Alex, Justin, and Max wore Penguins gear. "Sports are great because they help keep your body in good shape, and we can be supportive of all our favorite sports teams," I stated. "I remember going to a Pirates game back in middle school and my all-time favorite pirate, Andrew McCutchen got the final strike against the Chicago Cubs," Carly remembered. "Now that he's gone, the Pirates are just not the same anymore," Mrs. Shay added. "I agree with that," Mr. Benson chimed in. "Not to mention, the Pittsburgh Pirates' home opener this year is on Monday, April 2," I reminded everyone. "Alex, are you a Penguins fan?" "I kinda am," Alex replied. "I mainly saw hockey games on TV rather than at the Consol Energy Center." "I always love wearing Penguins gear, too, especially my baseball cap," Justin added. "The National Hockey League just wouldn't be the same without the Penguins," Max added. "I must admit that the Pittsburgh sports teams don't play the games in the safest neighborhoods," I told my friends. "You know what I am talking about with the North Side and the Hill District." "In middle school physical education, I had to play a lot of sports, like soccer, volleyball, tennis, and basketball," Carly remembered. "I also enjoyed playing in TOPS soccer back up in Natrona Heights as a kid," I added. "Also, when we were in the marching band in high school, we played stand tunes and show music while cheering on our favorite sports teams," Alex remembered. "I don't like sports so much because I fear getting dirty and I am generally into more girly things anyway," I told my friends. "I know how you feel," Carly stated. "I feel the same way." "I never participated in any sports in high school because I was a band geek," Alex stated. "I do, however, like bowling and swimming, if you guys consider those to be sports," I told my friends. "Bowling is fun when I do it with Emily Mistle and her younger siblings once a month, and swimming is fun in the summertime with you guys, especially since I got a membership to the Highland Park swimming pool for next summer, as well as the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. Besides, I do need the exercise in order to lose weight." After our discussion group, we went out to Pastoli's Pizza and Pasta in Squirrel Hill for dinner. Some more of my friends, Emily, Michael, and Erin Mistle also joined us at Pastoli's Pizza and Pasta. I ordered Hawaiian pizza, Emily ordered chicken-pesto pizza, Michael ordered BBQ Yardbird pizza, and Erin ordered Farmers' Market pizza. The Mistles and I ordered provolone wedges for an appetizer. Carly and her parents split a pizza with pepperoni, black olives, green peppers, and pineapple on top. Alex ate chicken tenders and fries, Justin ate an Italian hoagie with fries, and Max ate a beef gyro with fries. "Oh, another restaurant that reminds me of what I should have tried back in high school," Alex stated. "Why do you say that, Alex?" I asked. "All these pizza restaurants remind me of J&S in the Heights Plaza, which I thought was rather boring after one of my senior football games back in high school," Alex remembered. "Oh," I remarked. "I see." "Carly, would you and your parents like to join me and my younger siblings, as well as Angel, Sarah, James, and Henri for bowling at Zone 28 on March 24?" Emily invited. "Sure," Carly replied. "It was fun bowling with you guys at Brunswick Zone Playmor Bowl in West Mifflin last month." "Alex, this is a Saturday event, so you probably can't make it," Emily remembered. "But, I will be going shopping at the Strip District on the Sunday after," Alex told Emily. "We will be, too," Emily stated. "Perfect, so we can all meet each other," I remarked. After dinner, I went home with Emily, Michael, and Erin. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I asked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Shopping at Monroeville Mall

The next day, I met some more of my best friends Alex Russo, Justin Evans, Max Greenwald, Carly Shay, and Carly's parents, Sam and Freddie, at Monroeville Mall to go shopping. "Hi, guys!" I greeted my friends. "Hi, Angel!" Alex greeted back. "Before we start shopping, I want to remind you that you and your parents are still on to go bowling at Zone 28 with Emily and her younger siblings," I reminded Carly and her parents. "Sarah, James, and Henri will be at bowling, too." "Yes," Carly replied. "I can't wait to see them." "I have lots of fun activities planned for Sarah and her stepbrothers," Alex stated. "We will go shopping and out for dinner at the Strip District next Sunday." First, we saw _The Black Panther_ at the Cinemark movie theater. "I wanted to see this movie in February, but it ended up being a busy month with _Wicked_ and Emily's bowling group in West Mifflin." I also paired up with Carly and Alex to go to Hallmark, TCBY, H&M, Payless Shoe Source, Claire's, and Go! Toys. "I remember shopping at Claire's for the first time during the summer of 2008," Carly remembered. "All of these stores I went to at the Pittsburgh Mills Mall during that really snowy day in January my senior year of high school," Alex remembered, "especially for trendy spring clothes and shoes during that time." Alex picked out a pretty pink spaghetti strap dress with strawberries on the front and some tan wedge sandals from Payless Shoe Source. "So, what activities do you have planned for the rest of the spring, Alex?" Carly asked. "First, we are going to go to the Strip District to this totally awesome Mexican restaurant called Casa Reyna, then take a hike through Frick Park and have Easter dinner in Edgewood, then go to brunch at the Grand Concourse before yet another meeting at the Squirrel Hill library about things we like about Pittsburgh, and then maybe go see another movie in the Waterfront," Alex replied. "Those all sound like fun, Alex," I remarked. "Sarah, James, and Henri will really enjoy all the events you have planned coming up." We got treats at TCBY. I got a mini cookie cake, Carly got a strawberry banana smoothie, and Alex got a hot fudge frozen yogurt sundae. We also discovered Happy-Go-Lucky toys at Hallmark. Pretty soon, it was time for me to leave. "Thanks for a great day, everyone!" I thanked my friends. "You're welcome, Angel," Alex replied. "Bye, guys!" "Bye!"


End file.
